Method of presenting auxiliary data for an interactive recording medium

ABSTRACT

A method of presenting auxiliary data for an interactive recording medium is disclosed. In an interactive recording medium reproducing apparatus that reproduces A/V data and contents data recorded on an interactive recording medium and contents data provided by a contents providing server, the contents data provided by the contents providing server is presented appropriately according to the attributes of the contents data by using attribute information for the contents data.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No.11/562,326, filed Nov. 21, 2006, now pending, which is a continuation ofU.S. application Ser. No. 10/729,083, filed Dec. 4, 2003, now pending,which claims the benefit of a foreign priority application filed inKorea as Serial No. 10-2002-78023 on Dec. 9, 2002, all of which areincorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a method of presenting A/V data andcontents data recorded on an interactive recording medium and contentsdata provided by a contents providing server connected through theInternet.

2. Description of the Related Art

High-density recording media such as optical disks capable of recordinglarge amounts of data are being widely used. The DVD (digital versatiledisc), which is an optical recording medium capable of recording largeamounts of high-quality digital video and audio data, is one example ofthese high-density recording media.

The DVD includes a data stream recording area in which digital A/V datastreams are recorded and a navigation data recording area in whichnavigation data required for playback control of the A/V data isrecorded.

When a DVD is loaded into a DVD reproducing apparatus, the DVDreproducing apparatus first reads the navigation data recorded in thenavigation data recording area and stores the navigation data in aninternal memory. The DVD reproducing apparatus then begins reproductionof the A/V data recorded in the data stream recording area using thestored navigation data, thereby providing various functions of the DVDto a viewer.

The development of new interactive DVDs is being progressing rapidly.Unlike the DVD, the interactive DVD (I-DVD) contains additional contentsdata, which is detailed information about A/V data recorded thereon, andprovides the contents data through a user interface. The contents datamay be recorded on the I-DVD as data files such as html files.

In addition, a method for obtaining additional contents data from acontents providing server connected through the Internet and presentingthe contents data while A/V data and contents data recorded on the I-DVDare reproduced is under development. However, an effective method forpresenting the contents data appropriately according to the attributesis not yet available.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to provide a method ofpresenting auxiliary contents data recorded on an interactive recordingmedium or contents data provided by an external contents providingserver appropriately according to the attributes using attributeinformation recorded on the interactive recording medium or provided bythe contents providing server.

The method of reproducing an interactive recording medium in areproducing apparatus in accordance with the present invention comprisesthe steps of (a) checking attribute information for auxiliary contentsdata of A/V data recorded on the interactive recording medium and (b)determining a presentation method for the auxiliary contents data basedon the attribute information and presenting the auxiliary contents dataaccordingly.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a furtherunderstanding of the invention, illustrate the preferred embodiments ofthe invention, and together with the description, serve to explain theprinciples of the present invention.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 illustrates an interactive optical disk reproducing apparatus inwhich the present invention may be advantageously embodied;

FIG. 2 illustrates the relationship among an A/V data stream, contentsnavigation information, and contents data files in accordance with thepresent invention;

FIG. 3 illustrates a first embodiment of a method for recordingattribute information for contents data files in accordance with theinvention;

FIG. 4 illustrates a second embodiment of a method for recordingattribute information for contents data files in accordance with theinvention;

FIG. 5 illustrates a third embodiment of a method for recordingattribute information for contents data files in accordance with theinvention; and

FIG. 6 illustrates a fourth embodiment of a method for recordingattribute information for contents data files in accordance with theinvention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

In order that the invention may be fully understood, preferredembodiments thereof will now be described with reference to theaccompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 illustrates an interactive optical disk reproducing apparatus inwhich the present invention may be advantageously embodied. Thereproducing apparatus 100 comprises an optical pickup 11, an IDVD system12, a microprocessor 13, a buffer memory 14, and an Internet interface15 through which the apparatus 100 is connected to a contents providingserver 300.

The IDVD system 12 includes a DVD engine for reproducing A/V datarecorded on an I-DVD 10 and an enhanced navigation (ENAV) engine forreproducing contents data provided by the contents providing server 300or contents data recorded on the I-DVD 10.

The IDVD system 12 outputs the contents data in synchronization with theA/V data reproduced from the IDVD 10. As shown in FIG. 1, thereproducing apparatus 100 is connected to the contents providing server300 through the Internet interface 15 by the mutual operations of themicroprocessor 13 and the ENAV engine included in the IDVD system 12.

ENAV contents data, which is additional contents data associated withthe A/V data reproduced from the I-DVD 10, is downloaded from thecontents providing server 300 and then temporarily stored in the buffermemory 14. The buffer memory 14 can be logically divided into a firstbuffer (buffer 1) and a second buffer (buffer 2).

The ENAV engine in the IDVD system 12 outputs the A/V data from theI-DVD 10 in synchronization with the ENAV contents data from the I-DVD10 or outputs the A/V data from the I-DVD 10 in synchronization with theENAV contents downloaded from the contents providing server 300.

The ENAV contents data recorded on the I-DVD 10 is organized into aplurality of data files and ENAV navigation information for reproducingthe data files in synchronization with A/V data may also be recordedthereon. The contents providing server 300 provides various ENAVcontents data associated with the A/V data recorded on the I-DVD 10 as aplurality of data files and provides ENAV navigation information forreproducing the data files in synchronization with A/V data. Thenavigation information may be provided all at once or may be dividedinto a plurality of pieces and provided one by one when needed.

As shown in FIG. 2, for example, a title of the I-DVD 10 is organizedinto a plurality of individual chapters (Chapter#1, Chapter#2, . . . )and one or more data files (File#1, File#2, . . . ) corresponding toeach of the chapters are organized as an ENAV unit. Navigationinformation for managing the data files included in the ENAV unit isprovided as ENAV unit information (ENAV_Unit_Info).

The multiple pieces of ENAV unit information (ENAV_Unit#1_Info,ENAV_Unit#2_Info, . . . ) are defined as a linked list and transmittedalong with the ENAV contents data files or transmitted before the ENAVcontents data files are sent.

As shown in FIG. 3, the ENAV unit information includes file names ofdata files included in the associated ENAV unit (File(s) Name),addresses of the data files in the contents providing server 300(File(s) Address), and attribute information for the data files (File(s)Attribute).

For example, the ‘File(s) Attribute’ field for File#2 includes theinformation that ‘Type=Non_Square’ indicating the image type and‘Ratio=16:9’ indicating the aspect ratio and the ‘File(s) Attribute’field for File#3 includes the information that ‘Type=Square’ and‘Ratio=4:3’.

The microprocessor 13 controls presentation of the data files using thefields of ‘File(s) Name’ and ‘File(s) Address’ included in the ENAV unitinformation so that the data files reproduced by the ENAV engine may bepresented in synchronization with the chapters of the AV data streamreproduced by the DVD engine.

Also, the microprocessor 13 controls the image of the contents datareproduced by the ENAV engine to be presented with an appropriate imagetype and aspect ratio using the image type and aspect ratio informationof the ‘File(s) Attribute’ field included in the ENAV unit information.

Instead of recording the attribute information explicitly, the attributeinformation may be implicitly recorded such that it can be identifiedindirectly from the names of the data files. As shown in FIG. 4, forexample, naming File#1 ‘File#1_S_R.sub.--4’ makes it possible toidentify the information that ‘Type=Square’ and ‘Ratio=4:3’ for File#1.

Likewise, the image type and aspect ratio of File#2 may be identified bynaming File#2 ‘File#2_NS_R16’, which indicates that ‘Type=Non_Square’and ‘Ratio=16:9’. The microprocessor 13 determines the image type andaspect ratio of a data file from its name and controls the image of thecontents data reproduced by the ENAV engine to be presented with theappropriate attributes in conjunction with the A/V data reproduced fromthe I-DVD 10.

The attribute information may be included in meta tag information asshown in FIG. 5. For example, if the contents data files are html files,the image type and aspect ratio for an html data file may be recorded inthe meta tag information included in the header area thereof.

The attribute information of ‘image=Square.sub.--4:3’ is added to themeta tag information included in the header area of File#1 to indicatethat ‘Type=Square’ and ‘Ratio=4:3’. The attribute information of‘image=Non_Square.sub.--16:9’ is added to the meta tag informationincluded in the header area of File#2 to indicate that ‘Type=Non_Square’and ‘Ratio-16:9’.

The microprocessor 13 determines the image type and aspect ratio of adata file from the meta tag information and controls the image of thecontents data reproduced by the ENAV engine to be presented with theappropriate attributes in conjunction with the A/V data reproduced fromthe I-DVD 10.

The attribute information may be included in tag information of ageneral data file as shown in FIG. 6. For example, the attributeinformation may be added to tag information, which is positioned at thehead or tail of the data file, as image tag information.

Attribute information for File#1 indicating that ‘Type=Square’ and‘Ratio=4:3’ is added to the tag information positioned at the head ofFile#1. Attribute information for File#2 indicating that‘Type=Non_Square’ and ‘Ratio=16:9’ is added to the tag informationpositioned at the tail of File#2.

The microprocessor 13 determines the image type and aspect ratio of adata file from the tag information and controls the image of thecontents data reproduced by the ENAV engine to be presented with theappropriate attributes in conjunction with the A/V data reproduced fromthe I-DVD 10.

By the aforementioned procedure, the interactive optical diskreproducing apparatus 100 can present ENAV contents data insynchronization with A/V data reproduced from the I-DVD 10 with an imagetype and aspect ratio appropriate for the contents data.

The attribute information may include other attributes as well as theimage type and aspect ratio of contents data.

The method of presenting auxiliary data for an interactive recordingmedium in accordance with the present invention allows auxiliarycontents data for A/V data recorded on the interactive recording mediumto be presented appropriately according to the attributes of thecontents data.

While the invention has been disclosed with respect to a limited numberof embodiments, those skilled in the art, having the benefit of thisdisclosure, will appreciate numerous modifications and variationstherefrom. It is intended that all such modifications and variationsfall within the spirit and scope of the invention.

1. A method for decoding content data and additional information, themethod being performed by at least one device and comprising: receivingcontent data associated with additional information, wherein the contentdata includes at least one navigation information; decoding the at leastone navigation information to obtain location information,identification information and attribute information of the additionalinformation associated with the content data, wherein the locationinformation, the identification information and the attributeinformation are included in the at least one navigation information;receiving the additional information associated with the content datausing the location information and the identification information,wherein the identification information is an identifier assigned to theadditional information, and wherein the location information indicateswhere the additional information is located; and decoding the receivedadditional information based on the attribute information, wherein theattribute information includes a format of the additional information,wherein plural additional information are associated with a singlecontent data.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the content data isreceived through the Internet.
 3. The method of claim 1, wherein theformat includes various types.
 4. The method of claim 1, wherein theformat indicates a decoding method of the additional information.
 5. Themethod of claim 1, wherein the additional information is synchronouslydecoded with the content data.
 6. An apparatus for decoding content dataand additional information, the apparatus comprising: a receiving unitconfigured to receive data; a decoding unit; and a controller configuredto: receive, through the receiving unit, content data associated withadditional information, wherein the content data includes at least onenavigation information, decode, through the decoding unit, the at leastone navigation information to obtain location information,identification information and attribute information of the additionalinformation associated with the content data, wherein the locationinformation, the identification information and the attributeinformation are included in the at least one navigation information,receive, through the receiving unit, the additional informationassociated with the content data using the location information and theidentification information, wherein the identification information is anidentifier assigned to the additional information, and wherein thelocation information indicates where the additional information islocated, and decode, the decoding unit, the received additionalinformation based on the attribute information, wherein the attributeinformation includes a format of the additional information, whereinplural additional information are capable of being associated with asingle content data.
 7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the receivingunit receives the content data through the Internet.
 8. The apparatus ofclaim 6, wherein the format includes various types.
 9. The apparatus ofclaim 6, wherein the decoding unit decodes the additional informationaccording to a decoding method indicated by the attribute information.10. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the additional information issynchronously decoded with the content data.